Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1887-01-12
Toms OnArinx.

i
There was a loud knock heard uron
the door, and it waa the very door, too.
upon which piece Of black Grape fut'
! tered.
The ladies within the house were 1
little started, for it was an unusual oc-
| currence fer any one to knock upon the
front door. There was bell in plain
sight, and it was customary for people
to ring it very softly when the sign Of
death was placed so near to it. Indeed
| it seemed almost irreverent for any one
| to knock in that way upon the door
while Annie. the household idol, was
lying still and cold in the room close to
| the door.
"Some tramp, guess" one OF the
ladies' said. Il will tell him to 60 to
the back door. p she added. going to-
ward the place where the knock was
heard. To her surprise she found a
little ragged boy standing there with a
| few wi. ID flowers in his hand.
"Be you Annie's mother?" he asked
in an eager voice.
"No," the lady answered; and then
she asked, who are you?"
Viii 4Oul 0IAu dutl i VAIN w Oc0
her" he answered quickly.
The lady hesitated and was about to
say to him that Annie's mother was in
deep affection aad conld not see him,
when the lady in question came to the
door herself.
what do you want, little boy" she
asked kindly.
"Be you her ?" asked the little fellow,
with tears in his eyes. II mean, be
you Armies mother?" he explained.
"Yes," was the low answer
"Well, / heard that she died, and /
brought these flowers to put upon her
coffin, he said. while the tears came
larger and brighter into his eyes.
"What made You bring them, little
boy? the mother asked, while the tears
came into her own eyes.
"Cause she always said 'Good-morn-
ing to me when she went past our house
on her way to school, and she never
called me ragged Tom like the other
girls. She gave me this cap aud coat,
and they were good and whole when
she gave them to ME and then when
our little jean died she brought us a
bunch of flowers to put on his coffin,
and some to hold in his hands. 1t was
winter then and l don't know where
she got the flowers. They looked very
pretty in Jeans hand, and he did not
look dead after that. He was dead,
though, and we buried him down among
the apple trees. l could not get such
pretty flowers as she brought to us, but
went all over the big mountain won.
der and only found these few. Yon
see it is too early for them, but found
two or three up on high rock where il
was warm and sunny. Will you put
them ON her coffin ?" and the little fell
low reached out the half-blown flowers
that had cost him such long. weary
tramp.
Yes. and we will place some OF
them in her hand, too" the mother
answered in broken voice.
"Conld see Annie just moment %
the boy asked, almost pleadingly.
yes, come in, little boy" the mother
again answered, as she led the way to
the little dead girl.
The boy looked at the sweet face
very earnestly, and then he took from
ulS toi II SUhC DoChet uuo.ilcE IihlI-DIUWu
flower and placed it in the shiny golden
hair of little Annie.
"Will you let it be there?" he asked
in sobhing voice.
Eyes" was the only answer.
He went out softly, and the sweet
spring violet remained Just where his
trembling hand had left it. The others
were placed in the little white hand
and upon the coffin. Surely, the rag
ged Irish boy could not have expressed
his gratitude to his little friend in any
better way.-Pacitic Christian Aduo-
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